Heat generation by electronic components used, for example, in computer systems is a major issue of concern to industry. Reliability of electronic components such as semiconductor chips being a function of temperature necessitates removal of the generated heat from the electronic components with the aid of external means. The shrinking of electronic circuit sizes with increasing speed of processors has further lead to circuits having to be stacked one above the other with little space therebetween.
When space constraints and inefficient thermal cooling systems cause the heat density to rise above a tolerance limit in stacked circuits of computing systems, failure of components could occur resulting in loss of valuable data and prohibitive restorative expenditures. Thus, efficient and compact design of the external devices for evacuating heat away from the electronics is necessary.
Typical solutions involving heat pipes, as shown in Prior Art FIG. 1, include an evaporator plate 5 that absorbs heat from the electronic circuit 2 and evaporates a working fluid inside the heat pipes 6. The fluid is conveyed to a condenser 7 comprising a heat exchanger 8 cooled by a plurality of fins that condenses the fluid back to liquid form and conveys the fluid back to the evaporator 5. This process continues in a cycle. A pump 3 and a heat sink 4 are usually provided to supply a cooling liquid to the evaporator plate 5 and dissipate the heat absorbed therein, respectively. The circuits may additionally be cooled by forced air blown from cooling fans.